Jade Plants, Grow Jade Plants

How to grow that big Jade Plant

Hello All,
I received so many inquiries on how I grow that big jade plant, asking me what my special secrets or tricks or what kind of special “steroid” food I give to that jade plant.

Well Folks, there is no secrets, no tricks, no special food. It is all about TLC- Tender Loving Care- yes Sir/Madame, just plain old fashion tender loving care. I talk to my plant every morning and nite—This is like my baby. I feed her good quality food, water her and make sure she is in good health. She is in the 55-60 degrees cool temperature of Seattle and located at the South West of the house near the big window.

I do not use any special add on fertilizer or any of those gimmicks that stick to the soil, all I use is the clean indoor soil bought from Home Depot(the cheapest brand), yes, the cheapest band.
Just think about it, you do not need any more fertilizer than the plant need. YOU ARE OVERFEEDING THE PLANT.Let the Plant take care of herself. The biggest problem in this country is people overfeed themselves. Like pets, most pets died or sick because the owners overfeed their pets. We do not really need to eat more than what our body requires. Oh well, that my next post….

Another big reason why I can grow almost anything besides giving Tender Loving Care is because I have Good Karma. Yes, I think I have the “green” touch. With Good Karma, the Ying and Yang are balance in the house.

Another personal thing to share with you all, my mother just passed away and I put a little bit of my mother and father ashes in the pot!!

Next post I will tell you the name for my baby jade plant…yes my baby jade plant is no longer a baby anymore—It is like a football blocker linesman.

Anyway, keep the emails coming and if I can help you grow a big jade plant and if you have any questions, shoot me an email at info@homecaredomains.com
Regards,
Chris aka the jadeMaster

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51 thoughts on “How to grow that big Jade Plant”

I love jades but I have a VERY hard time keeping them alive. I had a huge one that just wilted (the leaves got wilted) I watered it about once every 2 weeks, was I watering too much? I just now cut off all the branches with leaves & now I just have the strong branches, what do I need to do to bring this plant back to life? You can leave me a comment

I am writing from Mexico and I wanted to tell you about the jade plant I rescued over a week ago. There was a beautiful though a little bit “bald” jade plant (approx. 1,5 feet) growing near the subway station where I arrive every morning to go to work. One day (maybe in early January or so) I noticed that someone had ripped the plant from the soil and left it leaning against another jade plant. I expected that someone would do something but as the weeks passed by, nothing happened and the plant was there, not properly planted, roots exposed and without any watering or care. Over a week ago I just decided to do something about it and take the plant so I went there, put it into a huge plastic sack and brought it home. It was very dry and the leaves were dropping and those still left in the plant were wrinkled and soft so the first thing I did was to put it into a bucket with approx. 5 inch. of water and I left it there for about 24 hours. Then I replaced the water with a little bit of soil to cover the roots (all I had at that time) and left it until I got a pot for it from the local market. On Sunday I finally managed to pot the jade but I haven´t watered it yet, I wanted to wait a couple of days before watering it properly. I keep it outdoors, not in direct sunlight but it gets some especially in the morning and noon.

Please find enclosed a couple of pictures of the plant. What do you think, will it recover? Should I water it more frequently since the climate in Mexico City is warm? There is the rainy season from June until October or so, before that it’s going to get pretty hot and dry here. There are many jade plants growing in the parks and it seems that they are not cared for, they just grow there happy and healthy and look fantastic. The pic 0038 was taken after I had brought it home, the pic 0039 (2) was taken after potting and some careful pruning (I had to do it because it was overgrowing) and the last pics were taken of the leaves, still a bit wrinkled but apparently recovering.

I changed the soil when I repotted the plant after I got it this summer, it was leaning so I repotted & put it in a bigger pot. The soil is pretty dry on top right now & I put some Mircle Grow flertizer sticks in the soil a couple wks ago & watered. The plant is just sticks right now, I am hopping to see some new growth in the next couple wks. How ofter do you think I should water this? FYI: My apt. temp is about 70, & the plant is in a south window (it’s the only window I have). Thanks for your help. Mary

Where are you at?
I would water it once every 10 days.
Look at the leaves, if they are dry then they will be wrinkles. The leaves should be thick, moist and juicy .
It takes a couple of days for the the jade plants to adsorb the water thru the trunks and then to the leaves.

I live in Minnesota, I will take your advice & water every 10 days, I have noticed on my other Jades that they are starting to get wilted now. I’m going to water them now. I really don’t want to loose them.

What do you mean top heavy? the Jade plant falling over because of too many leaves on top?

If that the case, get a bigger pot and support it with a pole. Let the trunk gets bigger until it can support the whole tree.
It is best to prune the top too.
If you like, send a couple of pictures.
Good Luck
chris aka the jademaster

I can not believe I stumbled across this website… I am so happy! I have a baby jade that I took as a cutting from some ones yard in California and brought back to Nevada. I can not wait until she is ten years old! I can only hope she looks as amazing as your jade!

I have just received a small jade bonsai. It is about 8″ tall. Right now it looks like a softball on a stick. Not trimmed at all. I don’t know how to start pinching it to make it look like a bonsai. Also, I live in Florida. Should I put it outside on the lanai (in the shade)or is it too humid here? Help!

I have just received a small jade bonsai. It is about 8? tall. Right now it looks like a softball on a stick. Not trimmed at all. I don’t know how to start pinching it to make it look like a bonsai. Also, I live in Florida. Should I put it outside on the lanai (in the shade)or is it too humid here? Help!

When comes to Bonsai, you need to prune it slowly.
Trim once per month so as not to stress out the plant.
That why you need lots of patience when comes to bonsai.
Yes, in the shade is the best place and no direct sunlight. It will burn the leaves if it is too hot.

I replied on your Jade plant forum on the website (the post is below), and am emailing the pictures of my young-ling as promised. The ‘Y’ can be seen well in 625, and the small shoot growing alongside can be seen in 624. Please let me know if the file sizes are too large. Thanks again!

I just spent a weekend at home and had a chance to visit my Grandmother. She has a jade plant about the size of the one in the first picture, though the trunk is slightly skinnier. I instantly fell in love with the plant, of which she gave me two baby trimmings about 6″ in height and 0.5″ in diameter. They are growing healthily, and though I have been watering often (maybe too often), have been pretty resilient, with lots of new leaves on the way. I have emailed you the pictures.

The trimming that I kept (one went to a friend) is in the shape of a Y, with the Y branching off close to the base. I was wondering whether I should keep it as so, or whether to split this while it’s young so I have one main branch for a trunk. Also, as seen in the picture, there is a small chute sprouting to the side that I can not tell if it is attached to the base below the soil or if it’s a separate chute entirely. What should I do? Also, any care tips for young plants would be much appreciated! Thank you very much! You are the Jade guru, I will talk to mine every day 🙂

Cheers,
John

PS. I just remembered, the little guy enjoys about 3 hours of direct sunlight each morning in his east-facing balcony (I open the balcony door so that the light is hitting him directly, not traveling through glass). Is this healthy or should direct sunlight be avoided entirely? He seems to be enjoying it, though I don’t quite know what a burnt leaf looks like. Thanks again!

*** No direct sunlight- it will burn the leaves***
*** Since it is just a baby,water once every week. Too much water on the soil will promote diseases***
“there is a small chute sprouting to the side”— cut that off and put it in another pot. It will grow in her own pot.
“shape of a Y”– cut off one and put the other one in another pot
It is best to have one big main trunk for the jade. Looks better and it is healthier.Easier to manage.

My jade plant is side heavy. The one branch on the side is thick and heavy causing the plant to lean to the side. Should I prune it and how do I root the branch that I prune off ….it is very heavy and lush I don’t want to lose it

My baby jade is getting pretty thick in the trunk but the branches are starting to get all spindly. That happened with my last one and it ended up dying. It’s potted indoors (repotted it maybe 2 months ago). Can I prune some of the leaves from the bottom to encourage thicker trunk growth and for the top part to get a little thicker?

JADE TRUNKS THE SIZE OF ELEPHANT LEGS!!
Hi, I have a ton….seriously, a TON…or more…of mature, common jade plant to get rid of. (I am clearing a property that has been untended for 30 years, or more, and is just over-taken by jade.)

i AM LOOKING TO HELP HOMELESS PETS WITH THIS JADE….
Specifically, I want to sell as much of this jade as I can, for the BEST price possible, and that is where I need your help — in finding how do I get the best price possible? Again, the purpose is not simply to make a lot of money, but to make a lot of money that will be used to help a lot of pets. (Pet Project, Pet Rescue.)

CAN YOU HELP BY POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, PLEASE?
I’m just a single individual,…(not a grower, a nursery, or any other biz entity)…who is moving into this apartment with the untended yard, and I have the apartment owner’s blessing to clean it up. I am located in San Diego, CA.

IS THERE A WEBSITE THAT TARGETS BUYERS OF LARGE JADE?
Do any of you know?….or have another suggestion? I realize I could just post an ad on craigslist, but I believe there must be a better way/place to actually reach the specific type of Buyers who would be interested in plants of this size and beauty.

The plants are truly BEAUTIFUL!!
I have all sizes…(1.5ft to 6ft tall and 1ft to 4ft wide)…and many have 1ft-4ft TRUNKS…(and DOUBLE trunks)… the size of elephant legs, which then branch out beautifully, as though they have been trimmed by a BONSAI master! Some pieces come with the roots, but the majority are clippings without roots….(which, of course, are easy enough to grow).

Hello Jade Master,
I just bought a baby jade plant and it came with multiple small trunks…but i have always wanted a big trunk jade plant…any advice on how to encourage the trunk to grow larger? should I separate them? I think there are at least 6-8 small trunks in the plants and i am picturing a nice 2 big trunks in a v shape plant type of thing.
Thanks a lot

dear jade master. my brother passed away suddenly 2 days ago and I have inhereted his jade plant. It appears to be in very good condition he loved his plants. It is about 2 feet tall and it seems like he has bonsaied it because the bases are like over an inch thick. I am pretty good with plants i have 23 house plants 2 jades they are doing well but have not grown much in two years. It would break my heart if I killed my brothers prize plant. Please advise thank you.

Hi Jade Master – what is the “food” you speak of for the jade? Just plain soil? How often do you change it?
Also, if my one pot has 4 small trunks should I transplant all but one to individual pots?
THANKS!
Dave

I just use the indoor potting soil bought from Home Depot. Nothing expensive.
I changed the soil once every 2 yrs or when the soil feels like dust. I don’t even use the fertilizer spikes or sticks.
All I give to my jade plant is lots of love and care-TLC- and I treat her like my Lady.

Yes, I would put one truck on one pot so it will grow better and stronger.

Can a Jade be grown in an office environment under the fluorescent lighting? It stays relatively cool here, so temp wise wouldn’t be an issue, just wondered how it would do under the tube lights? Enjoying learning about my new green friend the Jade. Thanks!

i bought a small jade plant last year that is growing like a wild fire. i have taken cuttings and now have loads of smaller plants what seem to be doing well.
my question is though. the main plant is growing so well that the length of the main arms cant support themselves too well. i hate to have to cut the tops off them, but i dont know what else to do to make the arms thicker and stronger. at the moment the plant is only around 12 inches tall at most, but is got canes around it to try and hold a decent shape. my aim is to get a good compact shape to it.

Just got my first jade she is very small. im taking her to college with me and when I become a teacher into the classroom. I need tips on caring for a young jade plant to make her grow strong and healthy. I am new at this. Since you are the jade master do you have any tips for a young apprentice?

Writing to your from the big island. I have just received a few jade plants, various sizes. I have kept them outside under the sun and in the rain. They are doing great! However I am concerned about the soil. How often should I change it?

If you like, you can fly me out to your big island and I will personally take a look at those plants.
I changed my soil every 2 years.
What kind of jade plants do you have? I have seen jade plants in Malaysia and Thailand and they are in pots and they grow very well under the tropical heat.
Hey, send me pics …chrisgoh11@yahoo.com